GREENSBORO --If you give a flip about the underlying spirit of the ACC basketball tournament — I'm not saying you should — you better pull for N.C. State and North Carolina to win their games Thursday.
Certainly, you should root for at least one of the two league cornerstones to advance. Otherwise, Friday around Greensboro Coliseum is going to be the basketball equivalent of Passover.
Most of the sports world will just drive by without stopping for a second glance. Regional interest in the games will go the way national interest did about three or four years ago - off the radar.
Even if Wake Forest gets past Miami in Thursday’s first round, the combination of the Deacons and top-seeded Duke won’t be enough to create a juice flow that runs to the core of the ACC experience.
You can say I'm being a North Carolina centrist and if so, that's fine.
But just step back and and mull this possibility — Duke vs. Boston College, Virginia Tech vs. (worst case) Miami, Maryland vs. Georgia Tech and Florida State vs. Clemson — on Friday for the quarterfinals.
If that lineup of games doesn't have take me out to the golf course written all over it, I’ll spot you two yawns a side.
Brick by brick, the Wolfpack and Tar Heels built this dungeon around themselves, of course. Just for the heck of it, I put the two rosters together and tried to come up with a lineup that might win a couple of games. Here’s what I dug up:
G Javi Gonzalez, State
G Marcus Ginyard, UNC
F Tracy Smith, State
F Deon Thompson, UNC
F Will Graves, UNC
Other than Smith, there's not an all-star candidate in the lot. So Carolina and State can't blame their sorry fates on anyone else, not even the officials.
But that doesn't change the fact that with the tournament back in Greensboro and league honchos praying for the clamor the event once produced, a Friday with the Pack back in Raleigh and the Tar Heels back in Chapel Hill will be void of extensive passion.
Comments
agree with Tudor
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 13:56 — gvillegatrand apparently so do the more traditional posters here at ACCNow. I'll be rooting for both teams this evening even if UNC loses first.
as for me, we just welcomed a healhty baby boy to this world and I have a front row seat in the hospital room carefully balancing my son and watching every game at least thru friday night. cigars around ....
Congrats Gator
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 18:55 — unc098There is no sweeter time. Enjoy. I will puff one (cigar) in honor of your new addition and your wife and entire family. Of course if UNC wins tonight he will have extra good luck....
gOOD for you gatr
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 16:48 — JPDOhioCongratulations on the new addition to the family. Within a week, I'm sure he'll be posting here and making more sense than some of the contributors.
Your wife's timing is perfect. I remember watching a Super Bowl from a hospital room with my son a day or so after he was born. It may not be as comfortable as watching from home, but it doesn't get any better than that.
Congrat's again and best wishes to your wife and family. You are a lucky man.
g-alligator!!
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 15:56 — bluecat69bluecat69congratulations on your new son!!! go duke!!!!!!!!!!!
What a sorry excuse for a tourney.
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 09:39 — JPDOhioForget about the fact that the likelihood of a major upset is pretty good before Sunday. And that you've got perhaps the most competitive field ever. But State stinks and the Tar Heels stink, so the tourney will be a bust. Or it could be a preview of March Madness, ACC style, where at least one team gets hot and surprises everybody by making an unlikely run to the Championship.
Times are definitely changing, though. Check out the photo of Javi Gonzalez having some fun with a young, impressionable Tar Heel fan. Truly today's sign that the Apocalypse is upon us.
Kumbaya JPD. I actually will
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 13:15 — unc098Kumbaya JPD. I actually will be rooting for State and Carolina. .We have already seen the apocalypse last Sat. I think that State is playing better than Carolina at the moment and has a slightly better chance to advance.
OMG !!! Hammer the final nail in the coffin.......
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 01:57 — TheMambaSTRIKESof these 2 underachievers..... At least MOO U can say that Smith is the only legit ACC player on their entire roster... And Roy and his Tar Holes fall from grace.... needs to come to an end....
GaT will end the ACC phase today...but some desperate Toilet Tournament will pick them up to prolong the agony of an UGLY season where the coach quit on the players...and vice versa.....
mamby!!
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 09:12 — bluecat69bluecat69ever notice how mamby is right on every time , momma said he is the smart one of the family.go duke!!!!
Duke Getting Respect
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 01:21 — staniam1969I will relish going to the Championship Game with Duke in it...it is a scalpers nightmare because the ACC Tourney is more about the pomp and circumstance than the games anymore...as a kid I always showed up at gametime and knew I would get a ticket cheaply because I lived in Greensboro at the time but lately scalpers play to the Whine and Cheese Crowd or the Deacon Club to buy blocks of tickets...what happened to the individual fan and being able to go to the coliseum just for the games...Tudor... you can have your tee time at the Cardinal or Forest Oaks because those of us that care will be watching the begining of a momentum push towards a 4th National Championship in 18 years.. NO one can top that in the ACC!
You are right, sort of
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 11:12 — SurferNo one can top that in the ACC. Actually dook can't either. They would have had to won last year, 2009, to win 4 National Championships in 18 years. UNC, however, could do it, but they would have to win it next year, 2011, which, I agree, is unlikely.
Let's be realistic
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 09:55 — Heels20Dook is better than usual this season, but they're probably not going to win a national title...
Ok H2O
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 13:08 — unc098I have put my swami hat up for the season,but I will stick to my earlier prediction of Maryland going de eper in the tourney than Duke. Not to say they will win the ACC but Williams gets streaky in the post season at times esp. when he has a hot point guard.
nOT UNLESS....
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 10:44 — JPDOhiothey relocate all the games to Cameron Indoor.
NC State and UNC mission
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 01:04 — igliigliNC State's and UNC's mission is not sports, its education. Fire all the coaches and let the school concentrate on academics.
Hmm
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 09:56 — Heels20Any one care to vote on this?
Well...
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 10:45 — JPDOhioAt least we got igli's monthly academics rant behind us.
igiloo!!!
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 09:18 — bluecat69bluecat69where in the he-l have u been, no one in the state of n.c. cares about education ,but DUKE the harvard of the south, bb is more impt. than education at the cow college, and carawhina, but they are losers, look at some of their fans -post on this site and u can tell education is secondary to bb. ok, go duke!!!!!!!!!
Keep in mind...
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 00:18 — Heels20...State did make it to the championship 4 times in 11 years. No, they haven't been anything special, but they have been entertaining, especially considering 2 of those times were 4-day runs, and 3 of them came down to the final minutes.
I agree with Tudor here, but we all know that no State fan is going to pull for Carolina tomorrow. Every non-Carolina fan in the state would just as much love to see us get blown out by 30 than to see their own team win. If Saturday was any indication of how we'll play tomorrow, then those fans will probably get their wish.
Lol
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 11:54 — mad_maxI'd love to see all 4 local schools playing on Saturday, but you're right, there's no way in hell I can bring myself to actually root for the baby blue tonight.
Oh Mr. Tudor ...
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 23:51 — Biggums... just go take a nap or something.
big-gummer!!
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 09:22 — bluecat69bluecat69what a great post, very indepth, ok go DUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Totally Agree with the Writer's Fundamental Point
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 23:14 — tigerinlosangelesThanks for pointing out what a sorry state of affairs the basketball programs at State and Carolina have become. I totally agree with your assessment that an all-star lineup comprised of the best players from both teams still would not amount to much. Likely would not even be able to beat the College of Charleston. Well there's always next year. Could not get any worse, could it?
You sir are an idiot
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 22:27 — atlmdtownI think you are far from a NC "homer". You are delusional. You better make your tee time now. UNC played their way out of The ACC all year and NCSU has not been relevant in ACC basketball for 20 years. The rest of the country wants to see the best teams compete for a hard fought title. They do not want to see UNC and NCSU because they are the "core" of the ACC. It is that attitude that has made the conference a laughingstock in football
NC State hasn't been a "cornerstone" in 20 years
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 22:10 — joelteschI agree with his point in regards to UNC. But come on...NC State? If this was not a Raleigh paper there is no way they would even be mentioned. NC State has been irrellevant to the sports world at large for two decades now. UNC and Duke are the cornerstones...with supporting players Maryland, Wake and Georgia Tech (depending on what kind of seasons they have). NC State, Virgnia, Clemson, FSU, et al...nobody outside the fanbase cares.
state and carolina
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 22:08 — saltydawg1the pack might prevail, but the tar holes will need more than toot's bias....as it has not worked much this year. huckleberry hound can descend from his pedestal. could this really be the devils' 9th title in the past 12 years???? so much for tar holes' domination!!!
SALTYHOG1
Thu, 03/11/2010 - 09:27 — bluecat69bluecat69U ARE ALL OVER THIS ONE, THE HOLES WITH THEIR 7 ALL HARDEES ALL AMERICANS ARE A THING OF THE PAST, AND THE WULFPECKERS DONT EVEN FIGURE INTO THE EQUATION, OK, GO DUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Very unrealistic...
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 21:55 — mad_maxbut I'm hoping for a Big 4 Saturday!
They had better listen
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 21:12 — bluemold0Both UNC & State losing is a ticket scalper's nightmare. When the "Big 4" stumbles the ACC Tournament is not the same. Not saying the Big 4 has to win the big game but 2 or 3 of them need to be in the hunt. CT didn't say that exactly but I've taken the liberty of saying it for him
Reading is fundamental
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 20:58 — fredwombleIt appears someone missed the whole point.
Don't Tell Me What to Do
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 19:48 — hoosierhysteriaTudor, do not tell me who to root for. May the best teams win.
Yadda, yadda, yadda
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 22:34 — melvinfurdThen you clearly won't be pulling for Indiana to beat Northwestern in the Big Eleven Tournament.